Thousands of Afro-Americans had been
moving again from the South into the North to fill vacant jobs in
war industry, and this was resented by local white residents.
Before the Detroit riot ended, twenty-five Negroes and nine
whites had been killed. President Roosevelt had to send in
federal troops to quell the disturbance. Another factor which
irritated Afro-Americans was that the Red Cross blood banks
separated Negro and white blood. This was particularly
humiliating in that it had been a Negro doctor, Charles Drew, who
had done the basic research that made the banks possible.
In spite of this, Afro-Americans were eager to demonstrate their
patriotism and to support the war effort. Besides the hundreds of
thousands who were involved directly in the military, millions
more supported the war effort in countless other ways. Besides
growing their own vegetables, saving tin cans and newspapers,
they were avid contributors to the War Bond issues. Others
volunteered to serve as block wardens in case of enemy air raids.
Negro newspapers had their own journalists at the front, and the
Afro-American community eagerly kept up with the war news.
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